Page 57 of Seduction
My mouth opened as I considered saying I was sorry. But I didn’t think I was.
“Did you know who that woman was?” I asked.
His eyes narrowed to slits.
“I take your silence as a yes,” I said.
“You can stay in the penthouse as long as needed, but we’ll keep our distance,” he said.
Suddenly, anger raced through me. Then tears flooded my eyes. My picker was still picking the wrong type of man to fall in love with. If everything was going his way, then we were in bliss. The moment something challenged his power and control, he was ready to walk out the door.Fuck him.I refused to let my tears fall.
I turned to gaze at my mistress beyond the window. She was so beautiful, so attractive when night fell upon her.
“Fine,” I said, making my voice clear and unaffected.
I thought I could feel his eyes upon me, but I refused to look. I had to sleep at the penthouse that night, and in the morning, I would wake up and pull my shift. It was great that I had forgotten to call Deb and ask for another day off. The sooner I got back to life before Jake Sparrow, if that was even his real name, the better. After my shift ended and handoffs were complete, I would return to the penthouse, collect my things, and finally get a room at the W Hotel.
Through the reflections in the window, I could see Jake watching me. But I wouldn’t turn to watch him back. He hadn’t said anything, and neither had I. We were done. My heart had been shattered into a million pieces.
* * *
The drive feltas though it went by in a blink of an eye. At some point, I’d taken my mask off, but I couldn’t remember when. I couldn’t even recall the movement I made two seconds ago. The car rolled slowly down the ramp and into the subterranean parking garage then stopped in front of the elevator. That was the first time I turned to look at Jake since he’d suggested we keep our distance. He was already watching me. I felt my breath slip heavily across my lips as we stared at each other. As soon as Jake ripped his eyes away from me, the driver hopped out of his seat and opened my door.
One of my feet touched the concrete. “You’re not coming up?”
“No,” Jake said, sounding strained.
I was sure my eyes conveyed the depths of my disappointment. Sadness pervaded my soul, and even if I searched, the right words weren’t ready to come to me. My shoulders slumped as I got out of the vehicle and dragged myself to the elevator. The driver pushed the up button. I hadn’t realized he was standing there. I thanked him by smiling at him faintly.
“Penina,” Jake called.
I squeezed my eyes closed, braced myself, then opened them as I turned. His electric pale-blue eyes made me rub my palm over the heaviness in my chest.
Again, we stared at each other. I prayed he would jump out of the back seat, take me in his arms, and apologize for saying we needed some space. I was willing to forgive him. Then the elevator dinged as the doors slid open. Still, I waited for him to say something.
“Rest well, Penina,” he said.
I pressed my lips into a grimace. Instead of waiting for him to roll up his window or order the driver to leave, I turned away first and entered the elevator. I forced myself to accept the fact that he and I were over as I studied the woman in the gold panels, wearing the beautiful dress. A sigh escaped me as I thought about all the ways Jake had touched me that night, his hard body against mine and his hands sliding up and down my hips or resting on my derrière or back. We were so intimate, our interaction so natural.
As the elevator opened to the penthouse floor, I talked myself into believing we were through. I had to, or else my anger would ignite me into a ball of fire. The lonely, hollow sounds of my footsteps moving down the marble-floored hallway helped convince me Jake and I were a thing of the past. With my arms crossed, shoulders slumped, I refused to cry.I will not cry.
